1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of solubility testing of drug compounds and other compounds, and to the field of combinatorial chemistry, and more particularly to the field of micro-solubility testing of drug compounds and other compounds, and to the field of combinatorial chemistry using multi-well reaction blocks for creating new drug compounds. This invention uses a apparatus comprising a disposable device and a reusable instrument that in the case of solubility testing can rapidly mix a solution containing a solvent and a solute, and that can separate the excess solute from the solution to enable testing the solution for solubility. The invention allows this procedure to be performed at a constant temperature. In the case of combinatorial chemistry this invention can rapidly mixes solid phase beads in a solution, and can then separate the solution from the solid phase beads. The invention allows this procedure to be performed at a constant temperature.
2. Description of the Prior Art
At present solubility testing of drug compounds is done by placing the compound (i.e. the solute) in a vial or test tube with a solvent. The vial is capped and the placed on a rocking mechanism in a constant temperature oven, that gently rocks the vial to slowly dissolve the compound into the solvent. At predetermined intervals of time samples are taken from the vial. The samples will contain a solution of solute dissolved in solvent, and some excess solute. The sample must then be filtered to remove the excess solute, so that the solubility can be measured. This method requires a minimum volume of approximately 500 μl and is labor intensive and time consuming.
At present reaction blocks used to synthesize drug compounds are expensive reusable devices, that must be cleaned after each use. The filter frits that are used to separate the drug compound from the solvent must also be replaced after each use. The presently available reusable reaction blocks must be assembled and disassembled several times to synthesize a compound.